Planning appeal decision
Smack Nightclub, Tavistock Street, Leamington Spa, CV32 5PJ
Planning appeal 3366038 at Smack Nightclub, Tavistock Street, Leamington Spa, CV32 5PJ (Warwick District Council) was dismissed on 17 November 2025 by Inspector Thompson P, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the appeal building is situated within the curtilage of the Grade II* listed building, 'Numbers 12-42 and Attached Railings to Numbers 16 and 18 and 20a, Parade', and thereby should be considered as part of the listed building.
demolition of existing two storey nightclub building and erection of five storey building containing ten purpose-built student apartments. Appeal B: APP/T3725/Y/25/3359294 5-9 Tavistock Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV32 5PJ
- Authority
- Warwick District Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- residential · Other Major Developments
- Inspector
- Thompson P
- Postcode
- CV32 5PJ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the appeal building is situated within the curtilage of the Grade II* listed building, 'Numbers 12-42 and Attached Railings to Numbers 16 and 18 and 20a, Parade', and thereby should be considered as part of the listed building
- notwithstanding whether the appeal building is situated within the curtilage of the listed building, whether the proposal would preserve the listed building, and any features of special historic interest that it possesses, including its setting; and the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the site and its surroundings, including whether it would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Royal Leamington Spa Conservation Area
- whether the proposal would provide acceptable living conditions for the future occupiers of the proposed development, with regard to the potential for noise and odour nuisance to occur from the neighbouring restaurant, known as La Coppola (Appeals A and C only)
- whether the proposed developments would make suitable provision for local services, in relation to local green space and road safety initiatives (Appeals A and C only)
What decided it
The less than substantial harm to the listed building and conservation area was not outweighed by the public benefits of the schemes, compounded by the failure to secure acceptable living conditions for future occupiers regarding odour.
The great weight to heritage asset conservation and the less than substantial harm identified, together with harm from unacceptable living conditions (odour), attracted substantial weight against the schemes which was not outweighed by the moderate weight of housing, economic, social and limited heritage benefits.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy HE1Policy BE3Policy HS4Policy DM1Policy TR1Policy BE1Policy CC1Policy RLS3
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 61Paragraph 125Paragraph 212Paragraph 215
- Judgments
- Holborn Studios Ltd v The Council of the London Borough of Hackney [2017] EWHC 2823 (Admin)
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision


More decisions in Warwick
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Allowed2 September 20266007651Land to the South of Harbury Lane, Warwick, CV34 7BR
- Allowed18 August 20266002759Land South of, Westwood Heath Road, Coventry, CV4 8LG
- Allowed15 May 20266004949Kenilworth Road, Old Milverton, Warwick, Warwickshire, CV32 6QS
- Allowed14 May 20266000932Land to West of Fosse Way (B4455) and to the South-East of Radford Semele, Leamington Spa, CV31 1XJ
- Dismissed16 April 20266001869The Fusilier, Sydenham Drive,, Leamington Spa, CV31 1NJ
The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.
®